Boxing History

By Tom Donelson Name the athlete who was most significant in the area of Civil Rights? The question, the answer you will receive most likely is Jackie Robinson. There is…

By Jim Amato He turned professional in 1970, fighting in the clubs of New England, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. In his eighth pro contest he was trading shots…

By Jim Amato He was possibly the greatest light heavyweight of all time, The wily "Old Mongoose" Archie Moore. The man who scored 140 knockouts in a career that spanned…

By Professor Laurence F. McNamee Students of aesthetics are continually amazed how great events in history seem to run in parallel. Two great events in disparate fields can take place…

By Phillip I. Earl Of all the men who raised a stake and got a start in Nevada none was quite the equal of George Lewis "Tex" Rickard. A teenage…

By Pat McElligot Luigi D'Ambrosio was born on November 8, 1913 in Herkimer, NY. Herkimer is a small town, with little in the way of recreation for its young people.…

By Robert Carson Bill Owens and Al Walker won't go down in the Boxing Hall of Fame, but in the late 1920's these two black gladiators were cutting quite a…

By Don Buchan In the middle forties when I knew Jack Johnson, we had a bit of fun. I used to rib him a little and once I told him…

By Joel Lipsitt Many well-known fighters have changed their minds after retirement and decided to try and make a comeback in the ring. Most of these have failed dismally. Some…

The "Basque Woodchopper" began fighting professionally in Spanish rings in 1923 and quickly mauled his way into the first division of European heavies with wins over Pail Journee, Marcel Niles,…

By Angelo Prospero Jr. The most revered of all the lightweight champions was Benny Leonard, born Benjamin Leiner, and known as "The Ghetto Jewel." He held the lightweight championship majestically…

TALES ABOUT LIGHTWEIGHTS Part Two -- Eye-Talians and Eye-Poppers By Angelo Prospero Jr. Frankie Ryff and Orlando Zulueta put on a furious fight that won "Fight of the Year" honors…

By Angelo Prospero Jr. Wallace "Bud" Smith was one of a handful of lightweights who died tragically. Others were Bummy Davis, Orlando Zueleta and Teo Cruz. Smith died in a…

By Michael J. Brodhead After the great days of the Comstock discoveries and before the early twentieth-century mineral strikes in the Tonopah-Goldfield area, Nevada experienced several years of severe economic…